Steve watches Lieutenant Hill when Fury debriefs them – a quick glance to the only other person who could've known about this (Agents Barton and Romanov were quite fierce and visceral in their shock) – and just catches the flicker of expression as it crosses her eyes and disappears. Gone almost to fast to see and lost behind the blank, iron-hard façade of S.H.I.E.L.D's second-in-command.

She keeps this up – and keeps separate – throughout all the yelling and greeting and recriminations until finally marching past them all and wrapping her arms, gently, around Agent Coulson's shoulders.

That shut everyone up.

"If you ever consider keeping something like this from me again bear in mind that I was trained as an interrogator and have various military and government contacts that like me better than S.H.I.E.L.D." Done, she released him and stepped back into parade rest, nodding. "Phil."

"Maria."

"Fury."

"Hill."

"If you'll excuse me." The entire room watched in silence as she exited.

Agent Coulson tilted his head and affixed the director with an expression that was both bland and expectantly smug.

Fury hugged his crossed arms tighter to his body. "She was still Council-appointed."

The agent merely twitched his lips minutely wider and damned if it wasn't the most shit-eating grin Steve had ever seen, without even being a grin.

Grumbling Fury stalked from the room, leaving it in further silence.

Until…

"I don't care what you want – take my billions – just teach me how to do that."

"I'm afraid it's something I was born with Mr Stark."

"Damn."

-/-

The pandemonium that ensues on deck is cut short by the hard stare of Director Fury. And a short speech on decorum by the Lieutenant that Steve doesn't catch because he's too busy admiring the mix of joy, loyalty and relief – or rather; a renewal of faith and resolution – shining from her eyes.

It's the most beautiful thing he's ever witnessed.

Fury steps up to the command deck of the Helicarrier, Assistant Director Lieutenant Maria Hill on his right, Level Eight Senior Agent Phil Coulson on his left. Without a doubt that's what most people are watching; the re-configuration of all that SHIELD stands for, a force of good men and women.

Steve's taking a look at the one person that has weathered all the betrayal and lies and the complete desecration of all that she stood for and believed in, a person who – only now when the ashes are rebuilt – is showing her vulnerability and relief at having a home again.

He's not sure if anyone else sees that…

But he wants to keep looking for more of these subtle qualities in a woman he'd overlooked.

.

.

.

WitW: Hello my lovely possible followers *hears crickets* Yes I know I'm bad at updating or getting anything more coherent (or long) up here but here you are if you want it.
This was originally written in the glorious little slot between the Avengers, the announcing of AoS and my discovery of the rare-pairing that was Steve-Maria. (Sorry Cap Widow fans; this makes more sense to me.)

Anyway thanks to Winter Soldier and AoS 1x17, all of my SHIELD-related fuzzies are lying in pieces around me. (But haHAH SkyeWard SUNK! Suck it bitches. If May can't have him we'll crush his shippablity to dust!)

So here's some fluff that has been reworked to be canonical. Let's pretend that Maria has no idea whether Coulson's alive or dead in the aftermath of 1x17 and Fury was headed to Coulson covertly after Winter soldier but kept it from Hill.

And this is what happened in the bright and lovely future where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts anymore…